Health Care Careers

Can writing help build teamwork?

A new initiative from Columbia University is seeking to use the power of the written word to help build mutual respect and teamwork among healthcare professions. Supported by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, the project involves selected students and faculty from four schools at Columbia (in dentistry, medicine, public health, and nursing) and uses methods from the Narrative Medicine Program to break down the walls that divide the professions.

The initiative speaks to the need for a cultural transformation in health professions education and practice. What do you think? Does this approach offer potential for better inter-professional collaboration? Would this be something that could work to bring unity and improved communication skills to allied health? Read one respondent's viewpoint on this topic via the AMA's New Horizons in Medical Education online community. Not a New Horizons member? Email the AMA.

Speaking of teamwork, implementation of the Medical Team Training program in the Veterans Health Administration was associated with decreased surgical morbidity, according to a new study in the Archives of Surgery.

Study: Medical assistants "integral part" of ambulatory care teams

A study of medical assistant supply, production, and demand in New York City found that medical assistants are "an integral part of ambulatory care treatment teams, particularly in community health centers." In addition, medical assistants "tend to be racially and ethnically diverse, and their diversity is viewed as an asset by providers serving diverse populations."

The study, by the Center for Health Workforce Studies in New York, also noted that "variation in the length and focus of medical assisting education programs results in differences in the capabilities of program graduates."

As a sponsor of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), which accredits medical assisting programs, the AMA supports the highest quality of allied health education programs. Check out the CAAHEP annual report now.

New IOM report looks at allied health workforce

The Institute of Medicine held a workshop on May 9-10, 2011, to examine the current allied health care workforce. Among other topics, speakers at the workshop examined the following questions:

• What is allied health, and who is part of that workforce?
• What workforce strategies could improve access to select allied health services?
• How can policy makers, state and federal government, and allied health care providers improve the regulations and structure?

A report summarizing the workshop was released by the IOM in early December.

Your input requested on health professions education chart

The AMA's Health Care Careers Directory covers a wide range of health professions education programs, from certificate and associate degree programs up to the doctoral level. To help us track each field's education requirements and length of training, please review a draft of our chart and advise of any edits/corrections.

Order your copy now of the 2011-2012 Health Care Careers Directory

The 2011-2012 Health Care Careers Directory is now available—be sure to order your copy now. This updated edition includes 8,400 health professions education programs in more than 80 different fields.

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